Want to Join

Young persons under 18

If you/your child is interested in joining us, please provide your details by following the link below

Click here to Register to Join

Please note that we are quite often over-subscribed and so cannot guarantee a place and/or necessarily your choice of meeting day or venue (if you have one) but we will endeavour to offer you a place if we possibly can.

Because we are quite often over-subscribed, we have adopted some ‘rules’ to ensure that we are open and transparent about the way that we manage the Want-to-Join List and how we allocate available places in the Sections. These are:

1. The Want-to-Join List

Young people are added to the Want-to-Join list by clicking the “Register to Join” link above.

Please note that siblings are not automatically added to the Want-to-Join list – please use the “Register to Join” link for each child.

When we have a space available we will contact you.  We may also email you to ask for confirmation that your young person should remain on the Want-to-Join list.

2. The intake process

2a. Normal intake times

New members normally join the Group in January, April, September each year.

Note that age ranges for the Squirrels Section are 4thth to 6th birthday; Beaver Section are 6th to 8th birthday; for the Cub Section are 8th birthday to 10.5 years; for the Scout Section are 10.5 years to 14th birthday; for Explorer Section are 14th to 18th birthdays.

2b. Who is ‘of age’?

We discount any young person on the Want-to-Join list who could join but because of their age would have 6 months or fewer in the Section – those young people are considered to be on the Want-to-Join List for the next Section.

Except in exceptional circumstances we only take new members in the January/April/September AFTER they reach their 4th, 6th, 8th, 10.5th, 14th birthday.

So, when selecting new Squirrels, the ‘of age’ list comprises young people who are on the Want-to-Join List and are already 4 and not yet 5.

So, when selecting new Beavers, the ‘of age’ list comprises young people who are on the Want-to-Join List and are already 6 and not yet 6.5.

So, when selecting new Cubs, the ‘of age’ list comprises young people who are on the Want-to-Join List already 8 and are not yet 10.

So, when selecting new Scouts, the ‘of age’ list comprises young people who are on the Want-to-Join List who are already 10.5 and not yet 13.

So, when selecting new Explorers, the ‘of age’ list comprises young people who are on the Want-to-Join List who are already 14.

2c. Selection criteria

As a guide, wherever there is choice available, we will allocate young people living in Pangbourne, Tidmarsh, Whitchurch, and further west to Sections meeting in Pangbourne. And young people living in Purley, Tilehurst, and further east to Sections meeting in Purley. However, we will allocate to the other location in order to fill the available spaces and thus offer places to as many young people as possible.

Where there are more young people ‘of age’ on the list than there are spaces we will allocate using this prioritisation:

  1. Any child who is ‘of age’ and who is cared for (as parent or carer) by an existing Leader/Assistant Leader/Section Assistant (in any Section of the Group) or a Group Executive Member.
  2. Young people who have a brother/sister who is already a Beaver/Cub/Scout/Explorer in 1st P&P.

Once those prioritisations have been used (often there will be nobody in those categories, of course), a prudent/pragmatic judgment will be taken, taking into account any relevant ‘soft’ factors, as well as when each young person joined the Want-to-Join List.

We may also prioritise, if appropriate, any child where one or both parents/carers are willing to become an adult helping a minimum of once per month in a Leader/Assistant Leader/Section Assistant role (in any Section of the Group – not necessarily the one that their child will join) or in an admin/Exec role.

Note that we will always seek to accept (space permitting) young people who have just moved to the Purley/Pangbourne area and have already been a member of Scouting in the UK or another country.  These young people are already Members of the worldwide Movement that is Scouting.

Note also that we do not remove names from the Want-to-Join List (except as per 2d below).  So, for example, if we cannot offer a place in Squirrels but can later offer a place in Beavers then we will do so.

2d. Response times

So that we can be fair to all persons on the Want-to-Join List, it is important that requests for information are quickly responded to. If we do not receive a response to an enquiry within 2 weeks then the young person will be removed from the Want-to-Join List.

How to get involved

Register interest in volunteering or join our youth programme